TMNT: New Paths
by Jessie Brown 4
Summary: April's cousin, Jamie O'Neal moves into her apartment to study at the nearby university. She has a dream to study music. Soon after she settles into college life, she meets some interesting new friends. (Rated T for violence)
1. Chapter 1

New Paths

Book 1

Prologue

The night was quieter than usual. Things seemed peaceful for a night in New York City. Most of the building lights were off. The lights on the windows were far and few, making the city look like a polluted night sky.

A couple made their way out of a movie theater. They had just seen a late-night movie. Suddenly, dark figures jumped around them, seeming to appear out of nowhere. Black figures had surrounded them with their faces covered. It was unclear what they wanted from them. But they seemed satisfied when the boyfriend handed over his wallet.

The leader stepped forward and yelled a command, pointing towards the girlfriend's purse.

"Honey, give them the purse."

"What?! No!"

"Honey…"

But then more figures showed up and in the blink of an eye, they seemed to disappear, taking out the other assailants.

The leader was the only one left. They looked around and jumped away quickly, cutting their loses.

The wallet was thrown back to the boyfriend, and the couple was left alone in utter confusion.

The small figure leapt up to a roof, looked around to make sure they were safe, then pulled off their mask. Long, black hair was revealed, and the face appeared of a young Japanese woman. Oroku Kaida knew what went wrong. She had been caught by her father's enemy, and they had foiled the Foot Clan's plans once more.

She would avenge her father…one day.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1

Jamie O'Neal

Jamie kept the hood of her jacket up. She looked out the window as her dad continued to drive down the street. The heavy traffic was making her feel anxious. They weren't in a hurry to say the least, but Jamie was sick of being in the car with her father, listening to his endless rants.

Jamie O'Neal had graduated high school last summer. She was unsure what to do, so her father enrolled her into New York University. It was a private college, and she somehow had been accepted. Maybe they just liked her father's money…maybe it was the fact that she was April O'Neal's cousin… She wasn't sure.

April O'Neal… Jamie had to admit, she admired and looked up to her cousin. She got used to seeing her on the tv screen growing up, even though it would interrupt her Saturday cartoons. Jamie also had to deal with her father, constantly ranting about April's success. He was proud of his niece…and sometimes Jamie wondered if she would ever make him proud of her too.

All Jamie knew about her future, is that she wanted to be a singer. Her father wasn't too pleased to hear that. He begged her to consider furthering her education.

"You can major in anything you want to!" He said to her. "Just please! Go to school!"

Then, remembering where April lived, he got the idea to ask her of Jamie could stay at her apartment while she goes to school. April agreed, thinking he wanted to save money on housing, and spend more for tuition. Jamie knew he wanted her there so April could be a good influence.

He wanted Jamie to pursue a career that was financially stable, and secretly hoped she would study something other than music.

Jamie had to be honest, though she wasn't sure what she wanted, she didn't want to be forced into going to a college she wasn't even interested in. But she decided to suck it up and go with it anyways. There was no arguing or convincing her father. He was too stubborn to see things from a perspective other than his own.

Jamie's father finally pulled to the side of the street. He helped Jamie with her bags and approached the apartment building where April was living. Jamie's father pressed the call button.

"Hey April! It's Uncle Darren! We're here!" The door was unlocked, and the pair made their way into the building. The elevator ride was silent as Jamie gripped the bars on the sides. She hated elevators, but her father insisted her discomfort was irrational, and always insisted on using them… April's apartment wasn't that many floors up…just the third…

Once they had arrived, April answered the door, seeming a little flustered, but she warmly welcomed them in. Her hair was shoulder-length now. It had grown out from when she last cut it.

"Please, please, come in!" She said happily. "Sorry, I had some friends over the other day, so it's a little messy in here."

Jamie looked around…the apartment did seem a little messy. The kitchen counter had a few empty pizza boxes. The living room seemed clustered as well. The coffee table was covered in magazines, the Play Station 1 was out, and the wires were all tangled, as though someone had hastily tried to put it away. There was a hockey stick leaning against the wall.

"Hey, what's this? You play?" Jamie asked, pointing towards the stick.

"Uh, no, my boyfriend, Casey does." April replied.

"Oh, you have a boyfriend?" Darren asked. Jamie rolled her eyes at the question.

"Yeah, here Jamie, let me help you with your bags. I got the guest bedroom ready for you." April led Jamie to her room. While she unpacked her things, April and Darren went to chat in the kitchen.

Jamie noticed weights and other exercise equipment in the closet. She wondered if it was April's or Casey's. She shrugged and continued unpacking her things. This was April's place anyways. If she wanted to keep junk in the closet, Jamie wasn't going to stop her.

"All right, Jamie." Darren said once Jamie went back downstairs. "Be good for April, pay attention in your classes, and eat well."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I will. Jeez dad, I'm not a baby anymore."

Darren sighed. "Yeah…I know. I'll see you during fall break, okay?" With that, he left.

April turned to Jamie. "I'm really happy to see you again. It's been a crazy year for me, so it feels like it's been a long time."

"Yeah, me too." Jamie replied.

"Well, I'll let you know when dinner is ready. Why don't you finish getting settled in?" April asked.

"Okay, sure." Jamie shrugged, heading back up the spiral staircase. Jamie didn't realize April's apartment had two stories, so she was impressed. Once Jamie returned to the guest room, she plopped onto the large bed.

"Classes tomorrow…" She said out loud. She suddenly began to feel stressed. But she decided to shrug it off and not panic. She drifted off into a deep sleep. Oh yeah…she loved taking these kinds of naps. She knew April would have to shake her awake later.

**Author's note: Forgot to mention some things!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT! Jamie O'Neal is my OC. **

**I had a lot of fun writing this one. It's based off the 1990's films. I love the TMNT franchise as a whole, including all the adaptations (movies, shows, etc.), but the 90's films are my favorite. They're classics! **

**Anyway, hope y'all are enjoying the story so far! **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 2

First Day of Classes

Jamie had to roll out of bed and roll around on the carpet until she was awake. She shuffled to the bathroom and brushed her teeth. She decided not to style her hair and just brush it back into a ponytail. She went back into her bedroom and got dressed. She wore a Nine Inch Nails, black T-shirt, high-waisted jeans rolled up at the calves, and black boots. She slipped on a simple necklace and headed downstairs. She was surprised to see the apartment was clean. The Play Station was put away neatly, the magazines were stacked perfectly, and the pizza boxes were gone.

"Good morning." April said.

"Uh…good morning." Jamie replied. "Did you clean last night? I could've helped."

"Don't worry about it." April replied. "You were out like a light last night, so I didn't want to bother you. Besides, you have classes today."

"Right." Jamie said. She still felt suspicious…how did April clean her apartment all by herself last night…?

Jamie decided she didn't have time to worry about that. April was a ninja cleaner, so what?

~jb~

Classes seemed to drag on throughout the day. Jamie had decided to take music theory, and a couple of general classes, just to get them out of the way. She sat through her algebra class, tapping her pencil and staring at the clock. She hated math…the only math she was good at was the math that existed in music…

When the professor finally dismissed the class, Jamie was ready to head home. She explored campus a little and came across a room that sparked her interest. She noticed rows of musical instruments in one of the classrooms. She walked in to investigate. There were no students or teachers in the room. Just a large collection of instruments. In the corner appeared to be some used ones with a sign.

"Practice instruments. Free to use. You break it, you buy it."

"Wow!" Jamie smiled. She picked up a spare guitar and started playing a song.

As Jamie began to sing the chorus, she was surprised to see two other girls suddenly join in with her. One sat at the drums, giving her more rhythm. The other grabbed a tangerine and gave the song more flare. They both began to sing with her.

After the song, they laughed and placed their instruments down.

"Wow! Great vocals!" The short girl said. She had red hair and blue eyes, covered by silver eyeglasses. Her outfit screamed the word 'nerd.' She wore a yellow and black plaid skirt with a large yellow sweater. The other girl was taller than both her and Jamie. Her skin was dark, and her hair was dark brown and curly. She looked like a typical goth girl. She had a fish-net long sleeve, covered by a black tank-top with black shorts.

"Thanks." Jamie replied, shaking the short girl's hand. "I'm Jamie."

"My name is Libby." The nerdy girl said before pointing to the tall girl. "This is Cody."

"Sup." Cody said blankly.

"You guys seem cool." Jamie said. "Thanks for singing with me."

"No prob." Cody shrugged.

"I know Cody and I seem a very…unlikely pair. But we are trying to start a band, and we've been looking for someone who can sing and play guitar." Libby explained.

"I play drums." Cody said. "Libby can play base. But she's more into the small details and making new sounds."

"It's a temporary sacrifice I'm willing to make." Libby admitted.

"That's so cool!" Jamie said. "Well, I would love to join you guys! Only if you're okay with it."

"Duh," Cody cracked a smile.

"Well, welcome to the band!" Libby said cheerfully.

"Does this band have a name?" Jamie asked.

Libby's cheery demeanor faded. The small smile on Cody's face vanished faster than it had appeared.

"We don't have a name yet." Libby admitted. "I do have a whole list of names! But so far, none of them have clicked for us."

"We'll think of something." Cody said.

"I'll brainstorm some names too." Jamie promised.

"That would be great!" Libby said. "Now! For some band bonding and unity!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cody asked.

"I mean, there's a band playing at that college club, just around the block tonight!" Libby replied. "It would be good for us to study them. See what captures the attention of the audience. And it would be a great way for us to get to know our new band member."

"Good thinking." Jamie praised.

"Yeah, sounds fun." Cody replied. "How 'bout we meet at like…six?"

"Sounds good." Jamie said.

~jb~

"Hey April," Jamie asked as she approached her cousin. "I made some new friends today. We're thinking of starting a band together."

"That's amazing, Jamie!" April replied as she placed groceries into the fridge. She gasped and jumped back.

"What's wrong?" Jamie asked. To her surprise, April started to giggle.

"Nothing." She laughed, pulling a rubber snake from the fridge. "I have a friend who likes to play pranks."

"Nice." Jamie smiled. She wondered when the snake was placed there…she didn't recall seeing it that morning. She shrugged and figured she must have not seen it.

"Anyways, we were hoping to go to a concert tonight. Is it okay if I go?"

April giggled again. "Ah, the joys of getting used to adulthood. Jamie, you can do whatever you want. Your dad isn't here, and I'm not your parent." Suddenly, she became serious. "But, please, please, please, do not wander away from your friends. Stay close to them. Power in numbers."

"Right." Jamie nodded. "I will."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 3

The Concert

"Okay," Leonardo sighed as he paced on the roof. "Tonight, we'll split up to cover more ground."

"Sweet! Goin' solo! Finally!" Raphael said.

"Remember, practice ninja." Leo reminded.

"Got it." Donatello nodded.

"Let's see…am I forgetting anything?" Leo asked.

"Yeah, we're getting pizza afterwards, right?" Michelangelo asked.

"Ugh… we'll see." Leo rolled his eyes, though he had to admit, he could go for a slice as well.

It had been three years since The Shredder had been officially defeated. Things seemed calm for the past few months, but occasionally, some members of The Foot Clan would still be remaining. The turtles would patrol every night to make sure The Foot would not be hurting anyone else. They had been mostly successful, though one person would always get away.

Now, the turtles were having a hard time adjusting to not seeing April as much. She mentioned a family member was staying and didn't want the turtles to be spotted by her. Donny wondered if it was only a matter of time that she would meet them anyways…

Boy, how right he was.

~jb~

Jamie was feeling great that night. She wore a black, long sleeve shirt and a short blue skirt. She decided to wear heels and styled her hair the way she liked it- wavy!

Libby and Cody looked amazing too. Cody really seemed to have a thing for fish nets. She wore fish net tights under a long, black hoodie. Her boots were black and had multiple buckles on them. Libby wore a yellow, spaghetti strap dress over a stripped, long sleeved shirt. All three girls felt sassy and free. The concert turned out to be outdoors. The wannabe band members danced to the music and laughed together. Libby insisted that none of them drink, sense they were still under-age. Cody didn't seem to care about drinking, and neither did Jamie. After a few hours, Jamie started to feel bored. She wondered when this concert was going to end. She turned to Libby to let her know she was going to start walking home, but then remembered April's warning. Jamie stood in the crowd, silent, and thinking about what to do. She could ask the girls to walk home with her, but they seemed to be having more fun than she was…she didn't want to ruin their good time. On top of that, campus was in the opposite direction of April's apartment…she would just be asking them to go out of their way.

Jamie shrugged and tapped Libby's shoulder. She told her she was tired and was heading home. Libby only nodded and went back to dancing with Cody.

The noise started to die down as Jamie walked further away from the hustle of the crowd. Finally, she could hear her thoughts again. She decided to hum a tune as she walked. She wasn't a fan of being outside at night. She paused and sensed that someone was watching her. She looked around and didn't see anyone. She continued walking down the road, wishing she didn't wear a short skirt in the cold autumn night…

As she passed an alley, three men approached her. Before Jamie could react, one grabbed her waist and covered her mouth. They dragged her into an apartment complex. It must have been later than Jamie thought, because the lights were off in the front lobby, and it was empty.

The men ushered Jamie into an elevator, much to her dismay. The elevator ride up to the roof felt like hours. Jamie was on the verge of hyperventilating. The thugs pushed her into a hallway, and out a door. That's when Jamie realized she was on the roof of this foreign building.

That's when she finally had the courage to struggle out of the grip of the stranger. He threw her to the ground onto her back. He placed a hand on her mouth again.

"This will be over soon." He said. He friend stood close by and pointed a gun at her.

_Well…this isn't going to end well…_Jamie thought, attempting to stay calm.

Suddenly, another figure seemed to fall out of the sky and land flawlessly on the roof.

"That's not how you treat a lady." He said before pulling a long wooden staff out.

The three men backed away in fear. Jamie was confused as to why…it was technically three against one. But as Jamie looked, she saw the figure in the shadows…he seemed taller…more intimidating.

He quickly ran out of the shadows and charged at the three men. He took them all on at once. Jamie had trouble processing what she was seeing. The stranger was indeed taller, and muscular…but she couldn't tell what he was wearing…He seemed to be wearing green…

With inhuman haste, the stranger had knocked out all three men and tied them up, also gagging them in the process.

He clapped his hands together as though he had just finished dusting a shelf. He then turned to Jamie.

She couldn't believe her eyes. He looked like…a turtle… What kind of costume was that?

He slowly walked toward her and knelt to her level, holding his hands up…his three-fingered hands.

Jamie scooted away.

"Hey, it's all right. I'm not gonna hurt ya. I just want to help." The stranger said.

Jamie couldn't say anything at first. Instead, she decided to scoot back toward the giant turtle.

"Are you hurt?" He asked.

Jamie reached out and touched his nose.

"Um…yeah, it works, in case you're wondering." He said. She looked closer at his face. He wore a purple mask over his brown eyes. Jamie was fascinated by those eyes…

She shook her head. "Sorry, it's just…this is…an impressive costume…" She stammered. Yeah, a costume…it had to be. There was no way this was real, right?

He smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint ya, but no. This isn't a costume." He stood and slowly turned around so she could see his shell. "This is my skin. This is the real me."

Jamie stood and gently touched his shell. "Wow…" She suddenly felt light-headed.

"Uh oh, you okay?" The turtle turned and reached out for her in case she fell.

Jamie took a deep breath and gathered her bearings.

"Uh, yeah, I'm fine. Just…overwhelmed. That's all."

"Understandable. It's not every day you meet a walking, talking, turtle..."

Jamie giggled. "Um, yeah…I don't suppose you see a human very often."

"Actually, I see a human almost every night." The turtle admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I go on patrol and stop crime. So, I'm used to seeing humans, except… I'm not supposed to be seen." His green cheeks suddenly seemed to turn pink.

"Oh…" Jamie nodded her head in understanding. "I see…" Jamie held up a pinkie. "I pinky promise not to tell anyone about this."

The turtle looked at his hand awkwardly. "Or…we could just shake on it."

Jamie's face felt warm. "Oh, I'm so sorry, I didn't…eh…" She trailed off.

The turtle chuckled. "It's okay. It's your first time meeting a turtle with three fingers." He reached out his hand and Jamie shook it. For a fighting turtle, he was gentle with her. His hand also felt…almost like real human skin instead of reptilian scales.

"I'm Donatello, you can call me Donny."

"Jamie."

"Well Jamie, I would like to know where you live, so I can escort you home. You don't have to give me your full address. Just your street. I would rest easier if I knew you got home safe."

"Well, that's very kind of you." Jamie said before giving him the street name.

"I know that street well!" Donny said happily.

"But…how will we get there…if we go through the building, someone might see you…" Jamie said, voicing her concern.

"Who said we were going through the building?" Donny asked.

"You mean…_climb_ down the building?" Jamie gulped.

"Yeah, it's easy. I'll carry you." The turtle reassured her.

"Okay." Jamie said, taking a deep breath. She allowed Donny to pick her up, bridal style.

"Don't be afraid." He said.

"I'm not afraid." Jamie replied. Donny jumped off the roof, flinging Jamie over his shoulder and clung to the side of the building.

"Now I'm afraid!" Jamie said, gripping onto Donny's shell.

"The trick is not to look down." Donny reassured her.

Jamie did the opposite of what Donny told her and looked at the road below…it was so far away, it made Jamie's vision blur. She decided to take Donny's advice and shut her eyes tightly.

Donny leapt across the old building, and onto a slanted roof.

"Wow," Jamie was now clutching to the back of Donny's shell, as though she were riding him piggy-back style. "You're quite the acrobat." She complimented.

"Thank you." Donny said. Suddenly, the metal slab slid off, and Jamie and Donny were practically sledding down the roof of the building. When it reached the edge, Donny jumped and grabbed onto it, clutching Jamie with his free arm. The metal slab flew into the air and landed on a car, causing the horn to go off.

"Oops…" Donny cringed, before dropping the rest of the way down. He landed flawlessly onto the cement. He walked her home until they got to her building.

_This is where April lives… _Donny thought.

"Well, this is me." Jamie said. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Well, it is New York. Anything could happen." Donny replied. "It was an honor to meet you, Jamie."

Jamie's cheeks turned pink. "It…was an honor to meet you."

Donny smiled before jumping out of sight…for a turtle, he was quite fast.

Jamie turned to her building and made her way inside. She took a deep breath and opened the door of the apartment. She knew she would have to tell April the truth…but she wouldn't tell her about Donny. She wanted to see her new friend again and didn't want to see him get whisked away by mad scientists. She would take this secret to her grave.

Apparently, April had stayed up, waiting for her. She was sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Hey Jamie, how was the concert?" April asked.

At first, Jamie wasn't sure how to respond. What should she say first?

"Uh…it was good." Jamie said, secretly hoping she could leave the conversation there, but then she remembered what could've happened if Donny hadn't shown up. She teared up and her voice cracked.

"Jamie, what's wrong?" April put her book onto the coffee table and rushed over to Jamie.

"I…I messed up, April." Jamie cried.

"What happened?" April urged.

"I didn't listen to you. I wandered away from the crowd and I got attacked…" Jamie explained the situation but leaving out when Donny saved her.

"How did you survive, are you okay? Are you hurt?" April asked, voice filled with concern.

"Um…a…passerby helped me." Jamie replied. "I…I didn't get his name, but he was really nice. But that's not the point…the point is, I didn't follow your advice, and I almost paid for it…I'm so sorry."

April smiled. "Wow Jamie…you really are growing up."

"What…?"

"Remember, you're eighteen now. You're an adult. And you are certainly acting like one now. You're taking accountability for your actions. And now I think you've learned something new today. Don't you?"

Jamie smiled back at her cousin. "Um…yeah. I learned not to wander on my own. You're not going to tell my dad though, right?"

"Of course not." April nodded. "Your dad can be a little…intense sometimes. I think he needs to let you learn things on your own now. Otherwise you'll never learn anything."

"Thanks April." Jamie said before heading upstairs. On the way she quickly said; "Love you, sis!"

April smiled. She and Jamie were going to get along just fine.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 4

The New Shredder

Oroku Kaida walked into the candle-lit room. The red carpet made her steps silent. The walls bore the mark of the Foot Clan. It was the symbol of Oroku Saki. The redness of the room always made Kaida feel unsettled, but she was good at hiding her fears.

Tatsu was facing the wall, meditating. Kaida knelt in her spot, and the old man turned to face her.

"How are patrols?" He asked. Getting straight to the point as always.

"They are fine." Kaida answered blankly.

"Hm." Tatsu grumbled. "There was a report about the turtles. You lost another group. But you have evaded them."

"What would you have me do?" Kaida asked.

"Do better." Tatsu almost snapped. "It is your destiny to defeat the turtles."

"I cannot fight them." Kaida argued. "They are four…they are bigger, and stronger. Even _you_ couldn't fight them-"

"_Damare!_" Tatsu roared and stood up. "Because it is not my destiny to defeat the turtles! It. Is. Yours. You are the daughter of Oroku Saki. You will avenge your father's death. If you think you cannot defeat the turtles, then we will train harder." He walked over to the small shrine. Pieces of Shedder's old armor were laid out neatly. "If you want to bear these, you must earn them."

Kaida nodded. "Yes, Master Tatsu." She sighed.

"Good." Tatsu said. "Let us begin."

~jb~

"All right, everyone is back." Leo announced once all the brothers had met on a roof. "Reports anyone?"

"Nothing happened." Raph said. "Another boring night as usual."

"Well, boring night means peaceful night." Leo reasoned. "Any sign of the Foot?"

"Nope." Raph replied.

"I didn't see anything." Mikey said.

"Looks like the Big Apple is behaving tonight, for once." Leo commented.

"Yo, Donny, you're awfully quiet." Raph said, looking at his brother. "Are you dying from boredom like I am?"

"Raph," Leo said in a warning tone before also turning to Donny. "Did you see anything?"

Donny didn't reply, his eyes seemed to be far away.

"Hey, earth to Donny!" Leo placed a hand on Donny's shoulder and shook him a little.

"Huh?" Donny blinked.

"Status report." Leo repeated. "Have you seen anything tonight? Any sign of The Foot?"

"Oh, uh…no…but…" Donny hesitated. "There was a girl-"

"OOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH!" Mikey teased, only earning himself a smack in the head from Raph.

"What about her?" Leo asked. "Was it the new leader?"

"No, I didn't see any of the Foot tonight. But I saw a group of thugs trying to hurt this girl…I couldn't stand by and do nothing…"

"Hey, it's okay, you did the right thing." Leo reassured. "What did you do to the thugs?"

"I beat them and tied them up." Donny replied.

"Were you seen?"

Donny scratched the back of his head. "Eh…yeah, the girl saw me…I made sure she got home safely…"

"Oh my gosh!" Mikey squeaked. "You walked her home?! Donny has a girlfriend!" He was smacked in the head again by Raph.

"Mikey, shut up!" He grumbled.

"She and I shook hands. She agreed not to tell, and I think she means it." Donny said. "And…she kind of reminds me of April."

"Aw, so cute!" Mikey said.

"I hope you know what you're doing." Leo sighed. "Let's go home. I'm sure Master Splinter is expecting us. We need some rest before training."

The four brothers made their way home.

**AN: This chapter is a little short, but I hope you enjoyed. Like how Mikey just decided to ship his brother. I'm pretty sure Michelangelo is a fanboy. **


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 5

Fancy Meeting You Here

"Jamie!" Libby rushed over to sit by Jamie. Monday morning had come too quickly for Jamie's liking. Saturday night was the night she got attacked by thugs and rescued by a mutated turtle. The thought was driving her crazy, what made it worse was that she was not allowed to tell anyone. But she made a promise. She had told Cody earlier about her predicament during their music theory class. Cody must have told Libby during their English class together. Now, Jamie and Libby had Algebra together. Libby was kind enough to help Jamie whenever she struggled with a problem. She also helped Jamie see past the stupid questions as well. She learned not to care about why a man would randomly decide to buy forty melons for no reason.

"I heard from Cody!" Libby said. "Are you okay?!"

"I'm fine." Jamie replied. "I was a little shaken, but I'm okay now. I relaxed the rest of the weekend, but now I'm a little behind on homework."

"I don't know how anyone gets behind on homework." Libby admitted. "But I'm glad you gave yourself a rest. I understand how the whole thing could've been anxiety inducing. And Cody said someone rescued you. Who was he? Was he cute? Was he all muscle?"

"Eh, he…I mean… yeah. He was really nice." Jamie replied.

"Okay, but who was he, and was he cute?" Libby repeated earnestly.

"Um, well… his name was Donny…and he was really tall, well built…" Jamie hesitated.

"Wow, sounds like you met a knight in shining armor!" Libby sighed. "Did you feel like a princess?"

"Um…yeah, I guess." Jamie shrugged.

"Hey ladies," Two young men walked up to Jamie and Libby. The one who spoke appeared to be Asian. His hair was styled in a mullet, and he wore a red jacket. His friend was taller, and his hair was red. He wore small headphones around his neck.

"Sorry to interrupt." The Asian said. "But we couldn't help overhear your conversation. Did you say that you were rescued by a 'Donny?'"

"Um…" Jamie hesitated. "Uh…yes. It's no big deal though."

"No big deal?!" Libby gasped. "No big deal?! Cody said you got attacked by three guys! And this Donny guy took all of them out and saved you!"

"Cody may be exaggerating." Jamie reasoned.

"Hey it's okay." The tall red head said. "It's just that… we have a friend named Donny who likes to help people. We think it may have been him. But I can tell you're not comfortable talking about it, so we'll drop it." He winked at Jamie. She stared back in surprise…could these two boys really know Donatello?

"So, uh, what are your names?" Jamie asked.

"My name is Dan." The red head replied. "This is my friend, Kino." He finished, pointing to mullet man.

"It's nice to meet you ladies." Kino replied, winking at Libby. The nerdy girl didn't seem to notice or care.

"I'm Jamie, and this is my friend Libby."

"Pleasure." Dan smiled. "I guess we'll…see you around." The pair walked away.

"Huh, do you think you guys know the same Donny?" Libby asked.

"Hm…maybe we do…" Jamie admitted.

~jb~

"Hm, I wonder if April's home yet." Raph mused as he looked into the apartment window.

"Well, it _is_ her day off." Donny reasoned. "I just hope her cousin isn't home."

"Yeah, that would be awkward." Mikey added.

"Well, we better knock, remember, we don't live here anymore." Leo said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Raph rolled his eyes before harshly tapping on the window. April came running into the kitchen. She opened the window and let her friends in. To her surprise, Kino and Dan where with them.

"Hey! What are you two doing?" April gasped.

"We're on patrol!" Kino replied.

"Dan, does your father know you're here?" April asked out of habit.

"Um, no. April, I'm eighteen now, remember?"

April smiled and shook her head. "Right, I keep forgetting. So, you're finally on patrol?"

When Dan was fifteen, he had joined in The Foot Clan. When Splinter was captured by Shredder, Dan got to know the old rat and realized the error of his ways. He stopped stealing and fighting innocent people. He wanted to join the turtles, but Splinter refused to train him, not until he was of age. Now that he was eighteen, he would often spar with the turtles in the abandoned subway.

Kino's story was a little different. He had met the turtles when he had caught robbers in a store. He had tried to intervene but quickly found himself outnumbered. The turtles had come to his aid, and when he had found them in April's apartment, he quickly became friends with Raph. The two had gotten themselves into trouble before. Although Splinter also refused to train Kino until he was also of age, he made Kino sit and meditate with him. Kino and Raph both had hot tempers.

Now they were both eighteen, and training with the turtles. They had just barely started going on patrol, as they had their first week of college and needed to settle in first, they even somehow became roommates.

"What brings you guys here?" April asked.

"We were on patrol, like Kino said," Raph replied. "And we thought, hey, we haven't seen our friend, April in a while. So, we thought we'd stop by and say hi."

"The streets seem peaceful these days." Leo added. "No sign of the Foot Clan."

"That's great!" April said. "Can I get you guys anything, snacks? Drinks? Tea?"

"We probably shouldn't stay too long." Leo replied. "Your cousin might be home any-"

"Yo, April! I'm home!" Jamie said, barging into the apartment, walking past the kitchen. The turtles all stood frozen…how could they have been so stupid? They didn't even hear her unlocking the front door.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know you had friends over." Jamie continued, seeing the turtles, and yet, somehow not…really seeing them. She seemed out of focus. "I'll just be upstairs, catching up on homework. Hey Donny." She waved, before walking up the staircase.

She paused on the third step, dropped her backpack, then hastily turned around.

"Wait a second!" She yelled. "Donny?!"

"Uh…hi Jamie. Fancy meeting you here." Donny replied.

"Likewise…" Jamie replied, looking at the group in awe.

"You guys know each other?" Leo asked.

"Um…yeah…this is the girl I rescued a few nights ago." Donny replied.

"April, this is the guy who saved me! I didn't know that you knew him!" Jamie added.

"Called it." Kino said.

"Small world." Dan mused.

"And…there's more of you?" Jamie asked, staring at the brothers with wide eyes.

"Gee, whatever gave you that idea?" Raph scoffed.

"Cut me some slack, it's not every day I see giant mutated turtles!" Jamie snapped.

"Oh, but maybe ya do every few nights!" Raph snapped back before looking at Donny.

"Oh, this is so romantic! It's like it was meant to be!" Mikey said.

"Mikey, shut up." Donny glared at his brother.

"This is insane!" Jamie said. "Wha…how did…how are you all... eh…?" Jamie stammered. So many questions spiraled in her mind. She didn't know what to ask first.

"Well, I guess there's only one thing left to do." Donny said. "There's only one person who can explain this to her."

"Well, if you insist." Mikey shrugged, stepping forward."Eighteen years ago- ow!"

Leo had smacked Mikey's head. "I think Donny means we have to introduce her to Splinter."

"Unless we want another person screaming or fainting." Raph muttered.

"Oh, Jamie isn't afraid of rats, or animals like that." April replied. "She caught a squirrel once at a family reunion."

"Well, then she'll be fine." Leo replied.

~jb~

"This is crazy." Jamie said, as the group walked through the sewers. "I've never been in the sewers before."

"You'll get used to it." April reassured.

"It's kind of awesome." Jamie admitted. "It's almost like…an adventure."

"Welcome to the club." Kino winked.

"Okay, here we are." Leo said, approaching the manhole in the ground.

"Huh, interesting." Jamie mused as she watched Leo and Raph climb down a ladder.

"After you, ma'am." Donny said. Jamie slowly climbed down. Each of the turtles urged her to watch her step and be careful. Once Jamie found the ground, she turned and looked around at an old, abandoned subway… for a place that was old and run down…the turtles had cleaned it up nicely and made it very…homely.

"Wow…" Jamie breathed. "This is…amazing."

"Yeah, we'll give you a tour later, but first things first." Raph said. "We need to introduce you to our Master."

"Right this way," Donny said, leading Jamie toward an old train. Inside, there were seats, and it was arranged like a living room.

There was a giant rat sitting towards the back. He was enjoying a cup of tea.

He looked at Donny and Jamie in surprise.

"Hm?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Hey Master Splinter…we have a new friend." Donny said, leading Jamie closer. "This is the girl I saved a few nights ago. She's April's cousin."

Suddenly, Splinter's eyes softened. "Sit down." He said. Jamie took the seat next to him. "Is your family name also O'Neal?" He asked.

"Yes." Jamie replied, as the rest of the group piled in and took their seats.

"Very well Miss O'Neal. Welcome. I'm glad to know my sons are still helping others. Do you wish to know our origin?"

"Uh, yes please." Jamie said.

Splinter smiled. "Very well. You see, when my owner and his wife came to America, I was a mere pet in a cage. I mimicked my Master, Hamato Yoshi, as he trained in the art, , when we lived in Japan, Hamato Yoshi had asked for Tang Shen's hand in marriage. But someone else, named Oroku Saki, had challenged Yoshi for Tang Shen's hand. She refused to risk losing him, so she convinced Yoshi to move to America. They had brought me along. One day, when Yoshi came home after a long day's work, he found Tang Shen dead on the floor in our apartment. The challenger had followed them to America and murdered Tang Shen. He then fought my Master Yoshi, breaking my cage during the fight. When Yoshi had fallen, I jumped and clawed at the challenger, who responded by swinging his sword and slicing my ear. Then he was gone, and I was alone…"

He paused, eyes dropping at the memory. There seemed to be more to the story, more that he didn't want to talk about. He shook his head and continued.

"I spent the next few months wandering the sewers, until I had come across a strange canister," He pointed to a shelf on the wall. A broken, glass, canister sat with the letters printed on it: TGRI."I had also seen four baby turtles, crawling through the strange ooze.I had accidently touched it when I gathered them up and found a makeshift shelter for them. The next morning, I found they had doubled in size. I too was growing, and even began to understand how to read. So, as I was learning, I was also teaching the turtles how to read and speak. I had found a book about amazing artists. So, as I trained them in their own talents, I gave each of them names." He looked over to the turtles.

"I'm Leonardo."

"I'm Michelangelo, call me Mikey."

"Donatello…you already met me."

"I'm Raphael."

"Yeah, only the good ones end in 'O!'" Mikey declared, earning high fives from Leo and Donny.

"Michelangelo!" Splinter snapped.

"Yeah?" Mikey asked innocently.

"Go! Ten flips now!"

"Aw, okay… I can't believe every time I make that joke…" Mikey mumbled. He left the train and walked out onto the walkway. Jamie could see him doing back flips from the window.

"That's amazing." Jamie complimented, turning her attention back to Splinter. "So…how did the canister fall into the sewer?"

"Well…" Donny hesitated and looked away.

"TGRI realized the danger and tried to bury it. Basically, we were just a big mistake. Accident. Fluke. Donny doesn't like to talk about it." Raph replied.

"Oh…I see." Jamie nodded. "I won't bring it up then. Still, it's really cool."

"We'll have to tell you our story another time." Kino said.

"Yeah, I'm interested how you met the turtles." Jamie admitted.

"And I'll tell you my story later…maybe when you meet Casey." April added.

"Thanks." Jamie replied.

"Okay, time for the tour!" Leo said. The eighteen-year-olds all took off, ready to show Jamie around the old subway.

Turns out, Jamie had a lot in common with the turtles. She liked skateboarding, running, exploring, and weapons. She seemed to see through Raph's sarcasm and fed it right back to him. Raph had finally met his match.

Later that evening, April and Jamie left, wishing the turtles a good night. Jamie couldn't remember the last time she had that much fun, hanging out with friends. Friends…she made four new friends. She went to bed last night with a smile on her face, thinking of clever comebacks for Raph if he decided to get sarcastic again.

**AN: Sooooo for those who don't know, or if it's been years; I'm using Dan's character from the 1990 film, and Kino from the 1991 film, so I guess that explains Kino's mullet. LOL. **

**Also, I feel like in every good story/book/movie/series, there is a mom and/or dad friend, and Splinter is definitely the dad friend. So, Jamie walks in and gets this strange feeling that she's just been adopted. It's like Plo Khun from The Clone Wars. He just adopts everyone. **

**Well, I hope y'all enjoyed. Leave a review! **


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 6

The Date

Jamie was in her algebra class, sitting and staring off into space. Libby was sitting up straight, focusing on every word the teacher said. Jamie couldn't focus. She would if the teacher taught more about rhythm, counting, and beats…that requires math, right? The only math Jamie liked…the math used for music…

Finally, the professor excused the class and Jamie made her way out the door. She heard someone call out. Curious, she turned to the noise. A young man quickly approached her. He had blond, wavy hair and brown eyes. He was tall and thin. His smile was charming…but Jamie wasn't impressed.

"Hey, sorry, your name is Jamie, right?" He asked, catching his breath.

"Yeah." Jamie gave him a half smile. "What was your name again?"

"Lucas." He introduced. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Lucas said. "I think you're really pretty, and there's a rumor going around. Some say you're a great singer… but I digress… I wanted to…um… I wanted to ask you…" He took a deep breath. "I want to ask you on a date. Are you available tonight?"

"It's Tuesday…" Jamie hesitated. But his big, brown eyes looked at her pleadingly. Jamie always had this problem. Even if she wasn't attracted, she couldn't say no to the guys who asked her out…she even went out with a girl once…only because she didn't want to hurt her feelings… Of all the dates she went on, she had a bad feeling this one would be the most awkward.

"But, yeah. Sure. I'm available tonight." Jamie smiled, though she was panicking inside.

"Great! I'll meet you at Le Bain tonight at seven. Tell the guy at the door that Lucas Roberts sent you."

"Cool…I'll see you tonight."

Jamie kept smiling, but she was dying inside. Why couldn't she be more assertive with these things?!

~jb~

"Got any three's?"

"Go fish."

Mikey narrowed his eyes as he pulled a new card.

"Got any nines?" Donny asked.

"Here." Leo said.

"Got any-"

"Okay, okay, okay." Jamie breathed, running down the stairs. April and Splinter had been meditating together. April asked him to teach her when she noticed her work was getting too stressful. It was nice to start meditating again now that Jamie knew about the turtles.

The four brothers were playing Go Fish quietly on the coffee table. April stood and walked over to Jamie. She was wearing a black dress with short sleeves. Her dark auburn hair was wavy, and she was wearing make-up.

"Well, well, well, what are you all dolled up for?" Leo asked.

"I have a date tonight…I'm so nervous." Jamie replied.

"Perhaps some tea would put your heart at ease." Splinter suggested, making his way into the kitchen.

"But Jamie…I thought you were Donny's girlfriend…" Mikey said in dismay.

"She's not-!" Donny stammered.

"I- I'm not-!" Jamie's cheeks turned red as she struggled to speak.

"Ooooh, I get it, you guys are in denial. Don't worry, it'll work out in time, just like in the movies." Mikey said.

"Ugh, Mikey…." Leo groaned and placed his hand on his face.

"Well, we'll see what happens…I always have trouble saying no to a date…" Jamie admitted.

"Y'know Jamie, if ya don't like a guy, why don't you just tell him?" Raph asked.

_"__Why don't you just tell him?" _Jamie responded sarcastically.

_"__Why don't you just tell him?" _Raph shot back. For a solid thirty seconds, this continued until Splinter came from the kitchen, a teacup in hand.

"Raphael!" The rat snapped. "Ten flips now!"

"Hmph!" Raph pulled up his belt and made his way by the stairs, beginning to do back flips.

"Here, child." Splinter handed Jamie the teacup. "Smooth, refreshing. Just what you need. You are not the first to go through this, nor will you be the last. And remember, if it doesn't go well, it's his fault."

"How-?"

"It just is. Remember the pressure points I showed you? Use those if he tries to hurt you or disrespect you. Only if he makes the wrong move first. Remember, the way of the ninja is to mean no harm…." He paused. "Unless you mean to do him harm, then do lots of harm!"

"Uh…" Jamie gulped. "I don't think he means to hurt me…"

The clock went off. It was now 6:30.

"Ah crap! Time to go!" Jamie said.

"Here." April handed her some cash. "For the taxi ride, and in case you need to make a phone call."

"Got it, thanks!" Jamie said, rushing out the door.

"Donny, you've been awfully quiet." Leo observed.

"Why don't you…go on patrol." Splinter suggested. "You seem restless; such energy should be put to good use."

Donny nodded and slipped out the kitchen window.

"Good thinking, Master Splinter!" Mikey cheered. "Giving him a gentle nudge so he can fall more for Jamie!"

"Who said anything about that?" Splinter asked. "I just want to make sure our new friend is safe, and that she applies the self-defense I taught her!"

~jb~

Jamie was lucky to meet Lucas at the entrance. She didn't have to let the security guard know she was with Lucas. While they were in the club, Michael Jackson songs were playing. Jamie started dancing excitedly. Now this was a party!

Lucas joined her, but was looking around the room, as though he was looking for something.

"You okay?" Jamie asked.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine." Lucas shrugged.

"Lucas!" A girl ran up to them. She had brown hair, and was wearing a red, spaghetti-strap dress. She had two other girls following her.

"Hey Jessica." Lucas replied.

"Were you trying to make me jealous?!" The brunette demanded. "Because…it's working… Okay, I'll take you back. I'll give you another chance." She cried and hugged Lucas.

"Wait…Lucas…were you using me?" Jamie asked.

Lucas nodded. "Sorry Jamie. Thanks though…"

Jamie lost her temper. She reached out her hand and poked his stomach with three fingers. He gasped and fell to his knees. Splinter would have been proud.

Jamie stormed out of the building. She looked around at the dark street, then back at the building.

_Why not? _She shrugged and went into an alley way, finding the fire escape ladder. She jumped up and began to climb up the building. Once at the top, she was surprised to see Donatello.

"Oh, hey!" Donny said. "Fancy meeting you here."

"I'm sure glad to see you." Jamie admitted.

"Really? What happened?"

Jamie shook her head. "I got used…I hit his stomach and left."

"Good, Splinter will be proud." Donny praised.

"Yeah…" Jamie sat down on an old random chair. She put her elbows on her knees and rested her chin in her hands. "I have such bad luck." Her eyes began to tear up.

"Well…at least your skin isn't green, and people don't faint when they see you." Donny reasoned.

Jamie giggled. "Thanks…but…I didn't faint when I saw you."

"That's true." Donny agreed, sitting on another chair next to Jamie. "It was nice for a change."

Jamie giggled again. "I'm glad. I'm sorry I thought you were a costume… And that I touched your nose…"

"It's okay." Donny smiled. "I understand. The human anatomy fascinates me, yet there is one thing that bothers me…"

"What is that?"

"Humans have weird ears…" Donny said. Jamie laughed. She heard a song play…it was Whitney Houston's _I Wanna Dance with Somebody. _Jamie smiled and closed her eyes. She rocked with the music.

"Jamie," Suddenly, Donny was standing in front of her, holding a hand out to her. "I…I don't think it's fair if you don't get to dance with someone tonight…so… would you…_ahem…_would you like to dance?" He asked, his voice cracking in the progress.

"I would love to dance!" Jamie smiled and grabbed his hand.

The two danced together throughout the whole song. At first, they kept a short distance from each other. The distance seemed to close as the song progressed. Jamie soon found herself face-to-face with the turtle, dancing closely. Once the song ended, the two stood there motionless, taking each other in. Jamie finally backed away, feeling her face burn up. She was certain she was blushing.

"Thanks for that." Jamie said.

"You're welcome." Donny replied. He decided to walk her home.

"So…" Donny said, as they walked on in silence.

"So…" Jamie replied, giggling.

"While we're walking…what do you wanna talk about?"

"Not sure…" Jamie admitted. "Um…if you had a lightsaber, what color would it be?"

Donny didn't expect that question. He thought for a moment. "Purple… and like the one Darth Maul carries."

"A double saber. Impressive." Jamie smiled. "Mine would be yellow."

"You know about yellow lightsabers?" Donny nearly gasped.

"Yeah, I've read the books." Jamie said.

"Really? Me too! Uh, forgive me for saying so but… I never saw you as…a… nerd…" Donny said slowly.

Jamie giggled. "I'm what some would call a…secret nerd."

"Ah, I see." Donny said. "I like it…it's mysterious."

Jamie smiled. Suddenly, Donny stopped walking and stood quietly.

"What's up?" Jamie asked.

"Sh…" Donny looked around and stood closer to Jamie, placing a protective hand on her shoulder. "Someone is watching us."

**Finally posting again! Hope you enjoyed, and thanks for reading!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

Shedder's Revenge

As if on que, a group of folks jumped into view. They all wore black outfits with red masks. Each of them had their own weapon, some swords, some staffs. Donny stood in front of Jamie protectively. Jamie knew she was in trouble…she had a bad feeling her basic self-defense wasn't going to help her now.

Donny seemed to know this too, as he stepped in front of her, he also touched her arm gently, as though he were afraid… afraid she would disappear from him if he let go. What scared him the most: he was going to have to.

"Are they…?"

"Yes," Donny answered grimly. "They're the Foot Clan."

"You must be Donatello." One of the ninjas walked up to them. Jamie could tell it was a young woman…maybe around her age. She had long, black hair and a mask covered her lips.

"You again?" Donny asked. "I wonder if we have to get a restraining order."

The girl scoffed. "I will not make the same mistake my father did." She said. "He tried to fight all four of you at once. I will not. I will take you apart. One. By. One."

Donny stood motionless for a moment. His eyes seemed to lighten in realization.

"Wait…you mean…?"

"Yes!" The girl snapped, pulling out a katana. "Oroku Saki was my father!" She charged at Donny. The two were caught in battle. Jamie braced herself for ninjas to attack her, but none of them seemed to notice her…they were all attacking Donny while he was trying to fend for himself. Jamie wasn't sure what to do…she felt so helpless.

She watched as Donny tried to fight the girl, while fending off the other ninjas.

_What do I do, what do I do? _Jamie's mind was racing.

She watched as the young woman threw Donny into the side of the building. He seemed to be winded, and she showed no mercy by trying to kick at his head.

Donny was losing…

Suddenly, Jamie felt angry. She ran at one of the ninjas and hit him in the stomach as Splinter instructed. She pulled his sword from his belt and roared at the young woman, while charging at her.

Jamie's hands were shaking, but she couldn't tell if it was from fear or adrenalin. She and the stranger dueled with their katanas for a while. Donny looked at Jamie in shock. He had never seen this side of her until now.

Jamie had noticed him staring at her. While Jamie was distracted, the young woman moved swiftly and thrust her sword through Jamie's stomach. Jamie gasped in surprise, then grunted in pain when the stranger pulled the sword out. Jamie knelt and dropped her sword.

"NOOOO!" Donny yelled. He picked up his staff again and attacked the stranger. He had hit her hard enough to send her flying feet away from Jamie.

"Jamie…" Donny gasped.

"D-D-Donny…?" Jamie stammered. Blood was pooling out of her stomach, ruining her dress. Donny made attempts to cover the wound but had to keep pausing whenever another ninja went to attack. Donny growled in frustration.

"Yo, dude!" Donny heard his brother's voice. It was the most beautiful 'dude' he ever heard.

Mikey, Leo, and Raph jumped into the scene.

"How did you guys-?" Before Donny could finish his question, Casey ran up to the group, followed by Dan and Kino.

"Did ya miss me?" Casey asked.

"I'm so glad to see you, acid breath!" Donny laughed.

"Glad to be here, backache!" Casey returned.

"Donny, April and Splinter have her van ready. Splinter thinks we need to retreat. You get Jamie out of here, we'll hold 'em off!" Leo commanded.

Donny picked Jamie up and carried her down the block.

"Donny…" Jamie mumbled. "I… I feel sleepy…"

"Please, stay awake, Jamie." Donny urged. He found the van, and April frantically waving

her arms at him.

"Over here!" She shouted.

Donny ran to the van, placing Jamie inside.

"Casey saw you and Jamie get attacked." April informed him before she noticed Jamie and gasped. "No…Jamie…"

"April, I'm so sorry…" Donny said.

"It's not your fault, Donny." April insisted.

"April…" Jamie croaked. Her eyes felt heavy. She tried to see her cousin and Donny, but everything was spinning…the world was fading.

"You're going to be okay, Jamie." Donny's voice echoed in her mind before she passed out.

**Shorter chapter. And I suck at writing action scenes, but hey, that's what fan fiction is for; to help you get better at writing. Hope you enjoyed!**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

The Old Barn

"Hey look, it's back to the drawing board." Casey mused as April pulled up to the old house where she grew up. Last time they had been there was about three years ago. Raph had been injured by the Foot Clan. The turtles retreated to the old barn house.

Now it was Jamie who was injured, and the turtles had to act fast. Once they arrived, April helped Donny patch up Jamie's wound. They let her rest in one of the beds.

The first night was the worst part. Jamie had lost so much blood; she had stayed unconscious during the whole thing. Despite Donny being distraught, he was able to take care of the wound. He didn't sleep that night. He stayed by the door and watched in case Jamie woke up. He couldn't help but blame himself. If only he had been braver, stronger, faster…better…

The next night was just as bad. Jamie was breathing evenly, but there was no sign of her waking up. Donny still hadn't slept a wink. April and Leo had tried to convince him to rest, but he wouldn't budge. He wouldn't even acknowledge anyone speaking to him.

Donny had started to doze off as the sun was rising the next morning. He was so tired his eyes could barely stay open. Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, he heard Jamie stir.

"Eh…where am I?"

Donny quickly stood and raced to Jamie's side. "Jamie! You're awake!" He nearly cried. "You're in April's old home. How do you feel?"

"Um…I feel a little hungry." Jamie said.

"Guys!" Donny called out to his brothers. "Jamie's awake! She needs some food!" He quickly ran back to Jamie. "Jamie! You're gonna be okay!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine." Jamie replied, cheeks turning red. "It's no big deal."

"No, it is." Donny insisted. "It's my fault you got stabbed! If I had been stronger, faster-"

"Donny." Jamie said firmly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Don't." The two exchanged a hug, not letting go until they heard Mikey sniffling.

"That's so romantic!" Mikey cried, making Donny and Jamie quickly pull away from each other.

"Ugh! Mikey!" Donnie growled.

**Sorry this chapter is short. But I hope you enjoyed. Mikey has an OTP now. LOL. **


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 9

Teach Me to Fight

Things had calmed down the next few days as Jamie's wound began to heal. She began to wander around the O'Neal property and would sometimes watch the brothers train together. She had also gotten to know Casey. She quickly caught on to the funny game he played with Donny. They passed each other insults in alphabetical order. They had to get creative and Jamie found it quite entertaining.

One morning, she walked through the small woods. Her wound had healed for the most part, but it ached whenever it rained. Last night was the worst of it. It had rained for hours, making Jamie toss and turn, and no amount of pain killers could stop it.

Morning came sooner than Jamie would have liked, and she would've slept in if her scar wasn't making her feel restless. The sun was shining, and the grass was still wet from the rain. The birds were still singing, and the leaves were finally beginning to fall from the trees. Jamie then remembered that September was almost over.

As she continued to ponder everything that had happened, she came across Leo. If it wasn't for his blue mask, she probably wouldn't have seen him. In fact, she jumped when she saw him. He was sitting by a tree, surrounded by bushes and tall grass. He was still and quiet. His eyes were closed… was he meditating?

"_Ohayou_, Jamie." He suddenly said, before opening his eyes and gave her a smile.

"Uh…hey-yo…" Jamie replied. "Sorry if I interrupted."

"You didn't." Leo reassured her. "Live with Mikey, then we'll talk about being interrupted."

Jamie giggled.

"How are you feeling?" Leo asked, standing up.

"Better." Jamie replied. "But I couldn't sleep last night."

"I see." Leo nodded. "Maybe Donny has some ideas to ease the pain." He suggested.

"Maybe… but I don't want to worry him." Jamie admitted. "He thinks this is his fault."

"I see." Leo nodded again.

"Anyways…may I ask you something?" Jamie asked.

"Of course."

"I don't mean to pry or intrude but…You seem to like to be alone often. Is there something wrong?"

Leo smiled again. "Thank you for your concern Jamie-san. But no, I like to meditate. It gives me time to let my mind rest."

"Ah, I get it." Jamie smiled back.

"May I ask you something now?" Leo continued when Jamie nodded. "I saw you fighting that Foot Clan member, with a katana…"

"Oh, yeah…" Jamie's cheeks turned pink. "Look, Raph already asked me if I was stupid for doing it, and then gave me a lecture not to do it again- whilst Mikey and I made faces at him when his back was turned. But that kind of lecture would be more painful to hear from you, and I don't need that right now."

"Actually, I was going to say, I was impressed." Leo replied. Jamie looked up at him in surprise. "And I don't think it was stupid necessarily- though foolish for a beginner- I believe you were thinking like a true warrior; putting yourself at risk to help someone else, even at the cost of your life. I would have done the same for my brothers if I had to."

"Oh," Jamie nodded.

"Now for my question: How did it feel?" Leo asked.

Jamie thought for a moment before answering. "Exhilarating…"

"Would you be interested in learning more?"

Jamie smirked. "Um… yes."

Leo smiled once more. "I was hoping you'd say that." He unsheathed a sword and handed it to Jamie. "I'll teach you what I know. We'll start with the basics, and then go from there."

For the rest of the morning, Leo taught Jamie how to use a katana. He promised her he would help her make her own once it was safe to go back to the sewer. As they continued to train, the pain in Jamie's lower stomach was long forgotten.

**I hope I got my Japanese right. I only picked up a few words when I lived in California. Anyways, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Stay safe out there!**


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 10

Return to the Sewers

"So, now that the Foot is still at large, we need to do something." Leo said, later that night as the group gathered around the table.

"The Foot…is afoot." Mikey snickered.

"Ugh…" Raph shook his head.

"They don't know where the new sewer is, right?" April asked.

"No, not that we know of." Donny said.

"It may not be safe to go back there, not with the Foot looking for us." Leo reasoned.

"Maybe it's time to return to the old sewer." Splinter said. His four sons looked at him in surprise.

"Come again?" Raph asked.

"They may know of our old home's location, but they don't know it like we do." Splinter replied.

"Are you saying we should lure them down there… to fight us?" Leo confirmed.

"You're actually saying we should fight them?" Raph added, almost seeming pleased.

"They'll have to come to us." Splinter said. "Then we will leave them a message, as the Foot like to leave messages of their own."

"Let them know we're not messing around!" Mikey said.

"Okay, a plan to ambush them, and we'll leave our message." Leo concluded.

~jb~

"Not this place again." Casey grumbled as he pulled up to the sewer. "At least the new sewer has more space than this place did."

"I haven't seen the old sewer." Jamie admitted. "I think it's gonna rain soon."

Leo and Raph struggled to open the old sewer lid. They hadn't used it in so long…

Jamie slowly crawled down the dusty old ladder. The sewer was smaller than the old subway. It was dusty and some things were left in disarray. Donny had filled her in with the story of why they had to move. He told her the story of when the Foot first attacked and kidnapped Slinter.

"Are we sure this is a good idea?" Jamie asked.

"No, but a bad plan is better than no plan." Leo reassured her.

"I guess…" Jamie said. "Are you sure about…you know…me fighting?"

"Well, I'm confident in one thing." Leo replied. "Just remember the basics I taught you, and you'll be fine. Besides, we'll all be here for you. If you're part of our team now, you need to learn this quickly: we look out for each other."

Jamie smiled and nodded.

"Well, we should get some rest. We'll know when the Foot show up." Leo said.

**Sorry, this chapter is super short! Hope you enjoyed anyway. I've been blocked for the end of this story, but it will be finished anyways. Leave a review!**


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